Description of the flag

The triangle seems to be both equilateral and reaching the center
of the flag, and the flag ratio is (consequently)
≅3:5.Jan Zrzavy, 31 Jan 2002

Shipmate Flagchart
includes the new Comorian flag (with a triangle reaching the center of a
flag and with flag ratio 2:3) as a "new flag established by
referendum". As a source, the Flag Research
Center is mentioned.Jan Zrzavy, 10 Jan 2002

There is a page
about the current flag (and
its
image), at the Mwzinet
/ Comores Online web site. Comparing it with the image above, the shade
of yellow seems darker (because it touches white?), while blue and green look
lighter and “greyer” — perhaps because the image
is overexposed? The looks also longer than one and a half the height of the
flag (an incorrect depiction in official use) and the crescent is more
“banana-like” (and much uglier) with the stars stacked by its side,
not “inside” it.António Martins, 02 Mar 2003

Design of the stars

The upright stars of some most Comoros flag images were based
on the official model supplied when the flag was adopted.Christopher Southworth, 01 Oct 2006

Stars pointing outwards

image by Pascal Vagnat and António Martins, 30 Sep 2006

On
this
page of the IRINnews website by clicking on the picture we get a large photo
of a Union flag with a different arrangement of the stars.Paraskevas Renesis, 13 Apr 2006

In this
IRINnews photo the stars are pointing to the fly. It may be the official
design, and perhaps even the only one in local use, as the legal documents
about the flag do not detail the orientation of the stars.António Martins, 13 Apr 2006

The (huge) photo is still on line but not the article it was shown in.
Anyway, the validity of this flag is up to anyone’s guess; we can only be
sure that such a flag exist (for the photo is detailed enough to count the
stitches!); expert botanists may try to guess the location based on the canopy
visible in background… For what it is worth, IRINnews is expected to deliver
on-location stories.António Martins, 30 Sep 2006

green triangle for the federation (and for
Islam?), whose flags have been
almost always mainly green
and from which the current islands autonomy evolved (?).

António Martins, 26 Mar 2006

Page
about the flag and its
image,
at the Mwzinet / Comoros Online web site.
reported by António Martins, 01 Apr 2003

Historical antecedents

Political situation in Comoros has been troubled for years, with
more or less official support by France and
South Africa to different parties, repeated
intrusions of Bob Denard’s mercenaries, assassinations
of presidents, expulsion of the mercenaries by French troops…
Mayotte
is still French, but also claimed by the Comoros Republic. The islands of
Anjouan and Moheli
are in quasi-permanent state of secession from the
Comoros Republic, sometimes aspiring to be re-attached to France.
Historically,
the Comoros islands have been amongst the rare states to
volunteer for to become a French protectorate because these micro-states were
permanently threatened by Omani pirates (whose
capital was at that time at Zanzibar) and
the neighbouring powerful Malgachian kingdoms
(not to speak about local rivalries and succession conflicts).
Anjouan was a sultanate and
Moheli a kingdom.Ivan Sache, 12 Sep 1999

The republic of Comoros was overhauled, getting a new name, flag,
and constitution as part of a deal to end a three-year secessionist push by
one of its three islands, a senior government official
said. The reconciliation deal was signed Saturday by military ruler Col. Azali
Assoumane and separatist leader Lt. Col. Said Abeid Abderemanein, the secretary
general in the president’s office said Tuesday. The secretary general,
Mahmoud Saleh, said the overhaul will take place within the next 18 months.
"A lot is to change in Comoros, including symbols of the state such as the
name of the republic, the national flag, and constitution", Saleh said.
"But our internationally recognized borders and unity are to remain
intact".Phil Nelson, 07 Sep 2000,
quoting from The Bergen Record

A political deal was signed between Comorian military leader Assoumani
and Anjouan separatist leader Abeid. Some confederacy called a "new Comorian
entity" will be created.
Jan Zrzavy, 28 Aug 2000

Air Force markings

Like many other small states, Comores Military Aviation (founded 1976)
operates small number of cargo and utility planes and two Helicopters. The book
[cos98] reports the national flag as fin
flash and naturally shows the old flag (see
example).
Dov Gutterman, 14 Jun 2004